
Avignon Festival 2025: Arabic voices take the stage as theatre confronts Pelicot case
We also dive into the vibrant energy of the Avignon OFF, the independent fringe festival that's now bigger than the official programme, where over a thousand theatre companies push boundaries, break conventions and reach new audiences on their own terms.
From street performances to stories that challenge social norms, Avignon 2025 is a theatre festival in full transformation and arts24 is there to take you behind the scenes.
The Avignon Festival runs until July 26, and Olivia Salazar-Winspear is recording a special programme for arts24 that you'll be able to watch next week.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Arabic language takes centre stage at Avignon's 79th theatre festival
Culture 12:58 12:58 min From the show For three weeks every summer, the streets of the southern French city of Avignon are overrun with performances of all kinds, from classical drama to spontaneous stand-up comedy. FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear went to check out this year's programme, as festival director Tiago Rodrigues invites Arabic-speaking artists to show their work as part of his guest language initiative. We discuss the multimedia storytelling of "When I saw the Sea", a performance created by Lebanese director Ali Chahrour exploring the injustices and indignities experienced by migrant workers in the "Kafala" system and hear how personal stories give his work powerful emotional authenticity and a universal resonance. We also hear from Zena, one of his inspiring actresses, and reflect upon the resistance of the Lebanese cultural sector, despite the recent crises the country has endured.


Le Figaro
4 hours ago
- Le Figaro
Web Filter Violation
FortiGuard Intrusion Prevention - Access Blocked Web Page Blocked You have tried to access a web page that is in violation of your Internet usage policy. Category Entertainment URL To have the rating of this web page re-evaluated please click here.


France 24
12 hours ago
- France 24
Passion for hand fans sizzles in burning Spanish heat
The burst of coolness drew envious eyes to a must-have item that has retained its relevance thanks to designer creativity and increasingly oppressive summer temperatures, stoked by climate change. "Everyone uses a fan here in Spain -- children, the elderly, young people, men," said Arturo Llerandi, owner of the "Casa de Diego" fan boutique in Madrid. "Why? Because it's hot... It's hotter across Europe and you see fans everywhere." Llerandi's bustling shop, which has been located in the centre of the Spanish capital for more than two centuries, boasts 10,000 different models of fans. Bone and lace versions are aimed at women and smaller versions cater to men, all diminutive enough to slip into a jacket pocket, with the most luxurious costing up to 6,000 euros ($7,000). With temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) regularly assailing Madrid in July, the idea of buying a fan as a gift was a no-brainer for customer Carmen Pulido. "It's something to have forever... Lately, it's become essential," said the 62-year-old legal assistant. For pensioner Rosa Nunez, 69, the "good old fan" has remained her best friend after the batteries of her electronic alternative died. "With handheld fans, the battery runs for a lifetime," she said with a smile. 'Very elegant' Olivier Bernoux, a designer who heads a luxury fan store in Madrid, acknowledged the accessory has "a heavy legacy... perceived as an old object, for the elderly". But they are "not kitsch, nor for old women", insisted the man whose celebrity clients include pop idol Madonna and US actor Eva Longoria. "Even in New York you find fans due to climate change because you have to find a way to cool down," said Bernoux. His global customer base brings different expectations. "Men are more classic", while Spanish women "are more sensitive to the noise" made when fans are unfurled, he said. "For the 'Miami' American woman customer, large fans are a must-have, while the French are particularly attracted to all our linen creations," Bernoux continued. At Madrid's Pride festival in July, some dancers snapped their fans to the rhythm of the music before spectators waving rainbow-coloured equivalents, illustrating how the humble object can also be used to convey messages. "The fan has always been fundamental for us and the community. It has always been a gay icon," said Pedro Pontes, a 31-year-old waiter. Ecuadoran journalist Erika von Berliner, who lives in Madrid, sees her fan as a "very elegant" accessory. "You hold something very beautiful that goes with your clothes and if you know how to use it well, with elegance, so much the better," the 49-year-old enthused. Bernoux agreed, emphasising what he identified as the object's "sensuality". "The very opening and closing of a fan is a marvellous gesture that will attract attention," he said, advising users to sprinkle perfume on theirs. © 2025 AFP